There is no reason both can't be true at the same time. Education is quite disconnected from research. Being good at one does not automatically imply being good

There is no reason both can't be true at the same time. Education is quite disconnected from research. Being good at one does not automatically imply being good at the other, but we do treat it as such. Harvard is obviously a world-class research institute, but it seems to be funded by the wealthy essentially treating it like a social networking experience, and knowing that the label "Harvard" opens a lot of doors due to the research reputation. The education given to the "poor" and the stringent selection criteria imposed on them primarily serves as set dressing.